In an article from the Examiner.com, the William Hamby explores the controversy surrounding Tim Minchin's song, "Fuck The Pope" that he performed at the Reason Rally. Catholic groups are raising hell (pun intended) and are saying it was blasphemy. Aside from that, people are also saying that the Rally was billed as family friendly and the cursing was too much.

My view is that both the organizers of the Rally and the people who attended, obviously didn't do any serious research as to those who were scheduled to speak because if they had, they would have known that many of Minchin's songs include vulgarity and swearing. Aside from that I'm pretty sure other speakers as well as the MC swore as well. Get over it people, adults swear. This was not a Disney/Pixar production of any sort. Minchin is BRILLIANT and dead on with this song. Check it out for yourself.

Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucker Fuck the motherfucker, he's a fucking motherfucker

Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the fucking fucker Fuck the motherfucker, he's a total fucking fucker

Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucker Fuck the motherfucker, fucking fuck the motherfucker

Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucking pope

Fuck the motherfucker, and fuck you motherfucker If you think that motherfucker is sacred (fucking motherfucker) If you cover for another motherfucker who's a kiddie fucker Fuck you you're no better then the mother fucking rapist And if you don't like this swearing that this motherfucker forced from me And reckon it shows moral or intellectual paucity Then fuck you motherfucker, this is language one employs When one is fucking cross about fuckers fucking boys

I don't give a fuck if calling the pope a motherfucker Means you unthinkingly brand me an unthinking apostate, and This has naught to do with other fucking godly motherfuckers I'm not interested right now in fucking scriptural debate There are other fucking songs and there are other fucking ways I'll be a religious apologist on other fucking days And the fact remains that if you protect a single kiddie fucker Then pope or prince or plumber you're a fucking motherfucker

You see I don't give a fuck what any other motherfucker Believes about Jesus and his motherfucking mother I've no problem with the spiritual beliefs of all these fuckers While those beliefs don't impact on the happiness of others But if you build your church on claims of fucking moral authority And with threats of hell impose it on others in society Then you, you motherfuckers, can expect some fucking wrath When it turn out you've been fucking us in our motherfucking asses

So fuck the motherfucker and fuck you motherfucker If you're still a motherfucking papist (fucking motherfucker) If you covered for a single motherfucker who's a kiddie fucker, Fuck the motherfucker he's as evil as the rapist And if you look into your motherfucking heart and tell me true If this motherfucking stupid fucking song offended you With its filthy fucking language and its fucking disrespect If it made you feel angry go ahead and write a letter

But if you find me more offensive than the fucking possibility The pope protected priests when they were getting fucking fiddly Then listen to me motherfucker, this here is a fact You are just as morally misguided as that motherfucking Power-hungry, self-aggrandised bigot in the stupid fucking hat

And if you don't like this swearing that this motherfucker forced from meAnd reckon it shows moral or intellectual paucity Then fuck you motherfucker, this is language one employs When one is fucking cross about fuckers fucking boys

I can understand if you are shielding your kids from the F-word and M-F word being upset perhaps at this being performed at the rally. Or even the topic of rape being "discussed" being "too adult". But his accent is thick and if an American kid is young enough to not know the word and not be old enough to hear it, he or she probably wouldn't understand him anyway because of his accent lol.

I don't think it's a big deal. :P

Generally he makes a good point. Most people, even religious ones, heck even Catholics... would agree I'd bet. There's nothing quite like speaking out against rapists/rape coverer uppers to warrant a few F words here and there. :P

Don't really think this type of performance accomplishes anything. If the reason rally was supposed to make the atheist voice heard in the country and in the political arenas, then I figure things like this more than likely hurt the agenda and make atheists be taken even less seriously.

I've been saying that for years and have never been confronted about it. granted i didn't shout it out during mass. i was a bit surprised to hear it at the rally though. but the pope is such a heinous motherfucker i'm more apt to use a "take no hostages" approach on him. it sickens me to see people throw themselves at his feet. bastard

Inclined to agree with you. Tim's a lyrically clever guy but this is the wrong message for a national rally that is being scrutinized by the media and it's followers. We can express our displeasure outrage about church pedophilia in a more palatable manner. This in your face approach only serves to alienate and offend. His antics are better viewed in a nightclub setting.

What message does vulgarity convey to those whom we ask for consideration of our underlying message?

I too have mixed feelings about this. I think the f-bombage should probably have been toned down not because it's unwarranted (it was) but simply because it's bad salesmanship in this context. It's the sort of thing one ought to do in camera rather than out in public.

Minchin also did Storm and his confessions at the Rally.

There were other singers there who kept it a lot cleaner, including of course Dan Barker (of FFRF) and Shelley Segal.

This is unadulterated anger. The thousands of lives that have been ruined by priests, sodomised, sometimes for years, their childhood ruined, scarred for life, scared of their own shadow, fearful of men in general, not fully functioning adults, because of these bastards, who are then promoted to Bishop, Cardinals, Archbishops, being protected and moved about, with the pope and his heinous entourage, then knowing full well, and participating in these crimes, and living in the lap of luxury to boot - This rally is for Atheists, and I don't care if we upset xians - they have been upsetting millions of people for quite a while now.

Just think about, in detail, how would you feel if this happened to YOUR child.

Tim has two children, and I would not mind my young'uns listening to this, and them knowing exactly what is going on. Knowledge is power.

This rally is so Atheists get a backbone.

At the moment in Australia, six catholic Bishops will circulate 80,000 letters this weekend to stop parliament from sanctioning gay marriage - HOW DARE THEY - they refuse to sanction condoms in poor catholic countries where women are just walking incubators, producing children, they cannot afford to feed, and getting and spreading Aids, giving it to their new born children - and these criminals are spending money on these heinous letters.